For the best results, split up the bake time for homemade pizza into two parts. First, shape your pizza dough and bake it on its own for 6 minutes in a 500-degree oven. Then, add your pizza sauce and toppings and return the pizza to the oven for 8 to 15 minutes. This approach keeps the crust from getting soggy. If you have a pizza stone or a specialized pizza pan, bake your pizza on that to ensure a crispy bottom crust. It’s also a good idea to bake your pizza on the bottom rack of your oven; this is the hottest part of the oven, and high heat is crucial for the right crust texture. When the crust is golden and the cheese is nice and melty, your pizza is ready to eat.

Once you’ve prepared your homemade pizza dough and added your favorite pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings of choice then it’s ready to bake! The amount of time to bake pizza is usually around 15-20 minutes to get the golden-brown crust and melted cheese that may be slightly crispy in places; that’s when you know your pizza is ready to serve! Every oven is different and needs different kinds of attention, but you can make delicious pizza at any temperature by adjusting your cook time. The higher the temp, the shorter the cook time for pizza, and if your dough is on the thin side you may want to keep an eye on it and keep it in there towards the shorter end of this window so it doesn’t burn. If your pizza dough is thicker or has a lot of toppings, you’ll want a bake time for your pizza that’s closer to the 20-minute mark.